


Sweet

by RayeoftheSunshine



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Friendship, Gen, grahatober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26855404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayeoftheSunshine/pseuds/RayeoftheSunshine
Summary: When G'raha tastes lemonade, he needs to share it with Krile. For grahatober, prompt 2: sweet.
Relationships: Krile Mayer Baldesion & G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch, Lyna & G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Sweet

The first time G’raha Tia tasted lemonade, he ran to Krile’s room and slammed the door open. “Krile! Krile I just tasted _heaven_!”

His diminutive friend put her head in her hands. “Raha, couldn’t you have told me _after_ you knocked?” she complained, frowning at him from her desk. “I could have been changing for all you knew!”

“And I would have been very embarrassed and begged your forgiveness,” he replied without missing a beat or batting an eyelash. “But Krile, this couldn’t wait! Have you ever tasted something so wonderful as lemonade?”

She tilted her head in thought. “No, I don’t think so,” she said at last. “But if it has lemons, I’m not sure what could be so wonderful about it. Lemons are sour, notoriously so, and I can’t imagine _enjoying_ something so… lemony.”

“Lemonade is sweet, not just sour, and it has water to offset the lemon juice!” His ears swiveled forward in excitement. “Come on, I’ll show you where I tried some. I couldn’t possibly bring it with me, since it would probably have spilled by the time I got here.”

“Knowing you, yes,” she quipped, but hopped to her feet and followed him out of her room. He led her at a quick pace (but one she could handle) to the small stand in the culinary exhibition that sold cups of lemonade. Her eyebrows rose as she took in the jugs of lemonade, as well as the varieties that were being offered.

A plain lemonade was joined by strawberry, peach, mint, and even _grape_ flavors. There was one that had pulp, another without. A range of sweetness was offered too, and Krile looked rather overwhelmed by the options. When the culinary exhibition went all out, they went _all out_. Most of these would never be seen until another such exhibition, at least not in Sharlayan. The rest of Eorzea had such options? How could they possibly enjoy them all?

“I haven’t tried them all,” G’raha admitted. “I only had the plain, pulp-less kind before I ran to find you.” He ordered a different cup and savored the sweet, sour drink. This one also had pulp and he found himself enjoying the small bursts of lemon on his tongue. “This is what the sun tastes like!”

Krile took a small sip from the one she just bought, and slapped a hand on her mouth. “Oh, it’s strong!” she said. “I can’t believe you’re gulping this down.”

“I am not _gulping_ ,” he insisted, and pondered over which of the other flavors to try. He ended up trying all of them in small mouthfuls, and he found he liked the plain and strawberry flavors best. The peach and mint weren’t so bad, being a mildly sweet flavor, but the grape overwhelmed the lemon and he would prefer to taste the liquid sun over the grapes.

His friend slowly sipped her cup as she watched him try out all the options the lemonade stand had to offer. “Well, it certainly is sweet,” she offered, testing the flavor now that she wasn’t shocked by it. “A very nice balance between sweet and sour, as well as how strongly you can taste the lemon. I can see why you love this.”

“I hope they give me the recipe,” he commented, now on another cup of strawberry lemonade. “I want to make this for myself!” It would probably help him stay awake while he was studying too, with the sugar and sharp sour lemon. G’raha liked tea and coffee plenty, but this, this was delicious. 

“Whatever you do,” Krile warned him, pointing the hand with the cup at him, “do _not_ think I will be your guinea pig. Because I won’t. This one cup is plenty for me.” At least, it would be until he mastered the recipe, and at that point she wouldn’t mind having the _occasional_ drink.

He pouted behind the rim of his drink. “Honestly, Krile, where is your sense of adventure?” If he had the recipe, how wrong could he possibly make the drink? It was lemons, water, and sugar, not nearly as complicated as some of the _other_ items on display.

“My sense of adventure is fine,” she answered airily, finishing her drink and setting the glass aside for washing. “It’s my taste buds that I’m looking out for. You go experiment with lemons at your own risk.”

G’raha let out a huff and finished his drink so that he could follow her out of the hall. He was getting full from the lemonade anyway, and it was time for him to study before all the sugar and water kicked in. But now that he had tasted it, he was determined to make it again.

In his spare time, he found a recipe, experimented, and finally mastered the drink. Maybe it wasn’t that much of an accomplishment, but considering how much he lacked _other_ culinary skills, he would be proud of it. Krile seemed to like it too, although she refused to drink it as often as he did. 

Lemons were hard to come by in Norvrandt, to his sorrow, but when he was lucky enough to have a handful of them, he was able to make his favorite drink for Lyna. She begged for a second glass almost as soon as she was finished, saying that it must be the drink from the stars in the sunless sea. He smiled and obliged, and agreed that it must be.

“How did you know how to make it, Grandfather?” she asked, licking her lips. “Are you magic?”

The Crystal Exarch laughed and patted her head, his fingers smelling like lemons. “Perhaps not that magical, Lyna. I learned how to make it before the Flood. Lemons are rare in the Crystarium, but we can use these seeds to try growing some more.”

“More lemons for lemonade!” she cheered, her eyes lighting up. “Then everyone can have some!”

He laughed and clinked his glass to hers. “More lemons for lemonade!”

**Author's Note:**

> I have long had a headcanon (I suppose you could say) about how G'raha likes lemonade. If people in Sharlayan never truly enjoy food, it makes sense that they probably wouldn't drink lemonade either. And who else to share it with but Krile? I wanted to show some of that friendship that's hinted at when she says "Raha." :)
> 
> And of course I had to end with dear little Lyna. <3


End file.
